OTTAWA—There are 10 non-permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, and there were at least that many reasons offered this week for Canada's failure to obtain one of those seats. Here are the top 10 reasons (excuses) put forward for the rebuff.

More surely to come in the days and weeks ahead:

1. It was Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff's fault.

"I would say a big deciding factor was the fact that Canada's bid did not have unity because we had Mr. Ignatieff questioning and opposing Canada's bid," Dimitri Soudas, Harper's communications director, said in the immediate aftermath of the vote. "That was a factor that played ultimately against Canada because people outside of Canada were saying, 'Well, Germany and Portugal have a united front, their opposition and their governments seem to be fully, 100 per cent behind this bid.' . . .

We had an opposition leader that opposed Canada and clearly was not in it for Canada on this one."

2. No wait. It was because of "principles."

"Our engagement internationally is based on the principles that this country holds dear; it is not based on popularity," Prime Minister Stephen Harper said on Thursday.

3. Or maybe ballot secrecy is the issue.

"We take our positions based on the promotion of our values — freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law, justice, development, humanitarian assistance for those who need it. Those are the things we are pursuing and that does not change, regardless of what the outcome of secret votes is," said Harper, also on Thursday.